Chicken and radicchio salad with pickled raisins and walnuts

Delight your taste buds with a vibrant chicken and radicchio salad featuring the perfect balance of sweet pickled raisins and crunchy walnuts. Tangy and satisfying!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, preferably bone-in with skin
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil
• 1/2 lemon, preferably Meyer
• 2 medium shallots, finely diced
• 2 small heads radicchio, Chioggia, or Treviso, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pickled raisins (see recipe below)
• 1 handful parsley, torn
• 1 handful cilantro, torn
• 1 handful mint, torn
• 1 1/2 cups golden raisins
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 3 juniper berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions:

1. For making the salad:
2. Start by heating the oven to 425° F. Coat each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season them with sea salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and are cooked through. Once done, take the chicken out of the oven and let it cool down a bit. Then, shred the meat into large bite-sized pieces and set them aside. (Note: Cooking time for chicken breasts may vary. If you are using bone-in breasts with skin, they might cook faster; so start checking after 20 minutes.)
3. While the chicken is in the oven, spread walnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they become golden brown. After roasting, roughly chop the walnuts, mix them with walnut oil and a bit of sea salt, and set them aside. (My husband jokingly calls my method of mixing walnuts in walnut oil as "cheating," but he doesn't mind as he enjoys them straight from the bowl on my cutting board -- they are that delicious!)
4. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a pinch of freshly ground pepper, and the diced shallot. Let the shallot sit in the juice for 5 minutes. Gradually drizzle in the remaining olive oil while whisking continuously.
5. Mix in the chicken, walnuts, radicchio, raisins, herbs, and a generous pinch of salt into the dressing. Toss everything together. Taste the salad and add more seasoning if needed.
6. For preparing the pickled raisins:
7. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until the liquid reduces by half, which takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool down completely, then transfer everything into an airtight container. Keep the raisins in the pickling liquid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; remember to strain before using them.

Summary:

• Calories: 4515 kcal
• Fat: 295 g
• Protein: 174 g
• Carbs: 348 g
• Potassium: 5778 mg
• Magnesium: 691 mg